Horticulture “imagineers” install new exhibit at NC Arboretum
By: Margaret Butler
Ibo Gülsen never envisioned working with flowers. An international project consultant from the Netherlands, he found his way to horticulture after a project in China commissioned him to help create a Dutch flower park. However, Gülsen’s destiny for flowers was not without coincidences beyond his nationality. “My daughters’ names were already Rosa and Fleur. Our last name, Gülsen, translates to ‘happy flower’ in Turkish,” he says.
While working in floral design, Gülsen became intrigued by people’s fascination with flowers. “I saw people crawling through flower beds, squatting beside them, even jumping into them to get a photo,” Gülsen recalls.
He also saw the floral craze as an opportunity and formed IGMPR, a Dutch design firm specializing in floral and horticulture attractions. By raising the gardens to eye level, IGMPR installations immerse guests in picture-perfect floral scenes. “The desire to take photos with flowers is timeless. Throughout history, portraits occurred in front of blooming parks; early studio photography used backdrops of floral motifs. Now people use their mobile phones,” Gülsen comments.
For early hunters and gatherers, flowers meant fruitfulness. Today we love them for their pleasing symmetry, among a host of other elevated attributes. Simply put, flowers are “associated with health and beauty,” says Gülsen. “Truly, there isn’t a culture in the world that doesn’t appreciate them.”
This fascination has made IGMPR’s installations attractive on a global level. His work was previously admired in Asia and Europe. Now, Gülsen will bring his floral mastery to Asheville as part of an all-new immersive event, “Bloom with a View.” For two weeks, the Arboretum will be set in bloom by the vision of Gülsen and the other “imagineers” at IGMPR, alongside the hard work of Arboretum designers and horticulturists who will implement the project.
The installation process varies based on multiple factors. Many times, Gülsen’s starting canvas is an open space or park independent of the landscape. The Arboretum poses a different challenge. Instead of a few large displays, the Arboretum will feature 20 to 30 smaller beds filling thousands of square feet with blooms. “You won’t recognize the garden as is — an ocean of hydrangeas coming your way,” Gülsen hints.
Arboretum Senior Director for Mission Delivery Clara Curtis looks forward to the IGMPR team’s creativity with space. “We have been looking to offer a large springtime event for many years, and we hope this will become an annual extravaganza,” says Curtis.
“Bloom with a View” will feature other flowers native to North Carolina, including seasonal lilies. “It takes a lot of preparation. You can’t exactly purchase [that many] plants from [one] local garden center,” Gülsen quips. So he connects with local suppliers and partners to acquire tens of thousands of in-season blooms, noting, “It wouldn’t make sense to source from the Netherlands.”
Acknowledging his Dutch roots, he notes, “If it comes to flower bulbs, The Netherlands has been the center of the world for hundreds of years. But I am equally excited to work for this show with hydrangeas that are cultivated in the USA. As long as there is a common passion for beauty, beautiful things will bloom.”
“Bloom with a View” will show at the North Carolina Arboretum (100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville) from Monday, May 1 through Sunday, May 14. A $30 parking fee provides access to the display and the full Arboretum campus. Arboretum members get in free. Parking passes can be purchased at the Arboretum gatehouse in person at the time of arrival (online and advance passes are not available). For more information, see ncarboretum.org. For more on the work of IGMPR, see imagineeringhorticulture.com.